Designation device



March 18, 1930. E. c. MUELLER. JR 7 1,751,247

DESIGNATION DEVICE Filed June 18, 1925 hveafon [02/7 6. Maw/Jr p my Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE EMIL C. MUELLER, JR., OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELEC- TRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ' DESIGNATION DEVICE Application filed June 18, 1925. Serial No. 37,957.

This invention relates to designation devices and more particularly to a device of this character for use in telephone switchboards.

An object of the invention is to provide a removable designation means which may readily and easily be associated with a group of apparatus such as a strip of lamps, in a superposed position to said apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination designation means particularly for use with a strip of lamps in a telephone switchboard whereby the space required for signaling and designation purposes is reduced to half that required heretofore.

.A feature of the invention is the provision of a self-adjustable designation strip adapted .to be readily associated with and fitted in and over a socket mounting. The strip has a series of perforations therethrough, correof the mounting.

sponding with the apertures in the mounting that contain lamps, etc.

A further feature of the. invention consists in the provision of means whereby lamp shields are associated with several of the perforations of the designation strip and constitute retaining means for securely holding the strip in the mounting upon the insertion of said shields into corresponding openings The remainder of the openings of the mounting are provided with similar shields that are disassociated from the strip. The shields associated with the strip are loosely held so that the strip may be mounted very easily and make allowance for irregularities in the structure of the mount- 1n lather features not specifically mentioned will be apparent from the following description read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded View of a switchboard lamp mounting together with a designation means shown in separable condition.

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross section of two forms of the designation and retaining means adapted to be used with a switchboard lamp mounting, and illustrate a method of connecting the retaining means or adjustable shields to the designation strip.

Considering Fig. 1, 10represents a mounti ing that may be used in a telephone switchboard, having lamp sockets 11 adapted to con tain any suitable lamps 12 within springs 13 thereof. Face strip 14:, made of metal or other suitable material is adapted to be connected to or may be integral with the sides 15 of the mounting. The face strip may have any number of perforations 16 corresponding to the number of lamps that the mounting may contain, and also to the spring jacks. (not shown) which are located directly beneath the designation strip and into which the usual plugs are inserted to answer incoming calls 1n response to the lighting of the lamps, each lamp having a jack corresponding thereto. Associated with each of the perforations 16 which may bedrilledor punched is ashield 17' which is rigidly secured in the strip 14. This shield serves to preventthe light from the lamp situated therein from being diffused. The designation means '18 consists of two parts, the designation strip 19 and back piece 20. The back piece 20 is joined to the designation strip by having perforations through the designation strip correspond to perforations of the back piece and having the metal of the periphery of several of the holes of the designation strip 19 extend through the corresponding holes of the back piece 20 and spun over the edge thereof, thus holding the two together. This method of joining the two pieces is illustrated at 21 of Fig. 2 of the drawing where'the metal of one of the nation designation means which are provided with shields, are left without shields so that whenthe shields of the designation means are inserted in the corresponding perforations of the mounting, the designation strip will be securely positioned in the mounting. Thus. it may be noted that this affords an easily as e Heretofore it has been t 1e practice to position designation strips adjacent the face or top of the mounting. In such cases the space occupied by the designation strip was wasted and by the use of this device is now saved. It may be noted that due to the adjustable positioning of the shields 17, loosely positioned in the counterbored perforations of the back piece, allowance is made for irregularities in the structure of the mounting so that in case the dimensions of either are somewhat irregular, the two will nevertheless fit together. Others of the shields '17 are rigidly secured to the faceof the strip 14.

igs. 2 and 3 particularly show the manner in which the back piece and the designation strip are joined. Fig. 2 shows the designation strip 19 joined with a back piece 20, the back piece being counterbored so that shields 17 may be loosely positionedbetween the strips. In this showing it is clear that the metal of the one strip as at'21 is spun over that of the other so that the two are firmly 'joined. It is also of note that'the lamp shields are shown of the split type so that upon inserting a shield into a corresponding opening of a mounting, a tight fit will be had due to the flexibility of the metal and the plurality of portions of the split shields;

Fig. 3 shows another method of loosely sup porting the annular portions ofshields 17 between the designation strip 19 and the back piece20. In this instance it should be noted that the back'strip has indentations 25-at various intervals wherein the shields fit. No counterboring is, therefore, necessary in order to hold the shield between the two strips.

The designation strips as usual, are adapted to contain paper indicators, such as 26, on

which names of central oflices or numbers, etc., may be printed. Celluloid strips are then positioned to protect and keep the indicatingsheets of paper' or other means in place. It is,'theref ore, seen that upon the illumination of one of the lamps 12, an indication will be given through the perforation corresponding to its position in the mounting, as on the drawing at 27.- The indication will beseenthrough the designation strip, the'shields efiectively preventing the indication from being given'through any other of the other perforations. It is to be understood that the purpose of the lamp is not to illuminate the paper indicator 26, since this is plainly visible and easily read even though all the lamps are extinguished,

but isto 1 designate which springja'ck the operator is to plug into in the group of lines or trunks, which group is identified by the paper indicator. Other means for designating' the various positionson the mounting, such as stamplng a number or other mark strip above the perforations, will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

It is clear that althoughthe device is par-v ticularly applicable to a lamp mounting in a telephone switchboard,nevertheless, itris readily apparent that such means may be associated with a keyboard orany mounting wherein a plurality of apparatus must be indicated or associated by indicating means with any other apparatus. By this means an easily removable designation strip is had,

which is adapted to be quickly associated with a strip of apparatus and which is so constructed that changes in the apparatus may be made eXpediently and without interruption toservice. I

What is claimed is: I

1. In combination, a lamp jack strip provided with openings into which lamps are inserted, a "designation strip holder provided with holes in alignment with said openings, and means for attaching said designation strip holder to said lamp jackstrip.

2. In combination, a lamp jack strip provided with openings into which lamps areinserted, a designation strip holder provided with holes in alignment with said openings, and spring means for attaching said designation strip holder to said lamp jack strip. g

3. In combination, a lamp jack strip pro vided with openings into lWlllCh lamps are inserted, a designation strip holder'provided with holes in alignment with said openings, and means for attachingsaid designation strip holder to said lamp jack strip, 'said means including a thimble forming 'a part of said designation strip. I

' 4. In combination, a lamp jack strip provided with openings into which lamps are inserted, a designation strip holder provided with holes in alignment with said openings,

means comprising a, thimble-through which one of said lamps is inserted into oneof said openings. s V

' 6. In combination, a lampjack'str ip proholder to said lamp jack strip, said a vided with openings into which lamps are inserted, a designation strip holder provided with holes in alignment with said openings,

said lamps are inserted into said openings,

said thimbles frictionally engaging sides of 1 said openings.

and means for attaching said designation 7 A designation device comprising a holder having a plurality of circular openings therein, a plurality of hollow thimbles secured in certain of said openings, the free end of each thimble being split whereby it 

